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How should urban green growth governance and financing challenges be addressed?

Green Growth in Cities

This report synthesises the findings from six case studies of urban green growth policies, four at city level (Paris, Chicago, Stockholm, Kitakyushu) and two at the national level (China, Korea). It offers a definition of urban green growth and a framework for analysing how it might play out in different types of cities. It demonstrates the importance of urban policies for achieving national environmental policy goals and discusses the increased efficiency of policy intervention at the urban level. It identifies urban activities to reduce environmental impact that are most likely to contribute to the policy priorities of job creation, urban attractiveness, metro-regional supply of green products and services, and increased urban land values. It also provides guidance on addressing potential financing and governance challenges that may arise in pursuing urban green growth. Finally, the report offers a preliminary proposal for how green growth in cities could be measured.

How should urban green growth governance and financing challenges be addressed?

This chapter assesses the main governance and financing challenges in implementing green growth in cities. Multilevel governance – co-ordination across sectors and among different levels of government, private sector and civil society – is an important tool for integrating environmental and economic priorities into urban activities. This chapter proposes a framework for addressing potential gaps in co-ordination and suggests ways in which national governments can enable green growth in cities. This is followed by a discussion of the opportunities for increasing funding for urban green growth, which include aligning local revenue sources (including taxes, fees and charges) with green growth priorities. It will also be essential to mobilise private finance for green infrastructure investments, through mechanisms such as public-private partnerships, development charges, loans, bonds and carbon finance.